May 2012 – Mobile Spaza rollers introduced to informal traders in the Eastern Cape

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First of all, welcome to dozens of new subscribers to our newsletter. Thank you for your interest and support for the Hippo water roller!

Did you know the Hippo roller is also used to support informal traders?

The HIPPO MOBILE SPAZA utilizes the Hippo water roller as a transport vehicle and display facility for products to be sold in rural and informal communities.

Promoting community ownership

We were recently introduced to the Indwe community in the Eastern Cape by the Khulumani Support Group, a growing social movement in South Africa with deep roots in many of the country’s poorest communities.

An anonymous donor from the USA financed the purchase and delivery of 50 rollers to Indwe. Khulumani groups from the region around Indwe helped us to meet with 6 local communities.

The Khulumani facilitators did a superb job to introduce the Hippo roller to the community in their local language and to put mechanisms in place that are designed to maximise community ownership and benefit.

The excitement and enthusiasm exhibited by everyone at the handover ceremony has been very contagious and we look forward to many more handovers in association with locally organised Khulumani groups.

Spaza training

“Spaza” is a term that is used in South Africa to refer to an informal trading post. Khulumani identified informal traders from a nearby town, Whittlesea, to use the Hippo Mobile Spaza to support and expand their small businesses.

We provided training to several small business owners in setting up the Mobile Spaza as a display unit and using it for transporting goods and products.